A disease was spreading, killing thousands of their people. News had spread to the palace, and Hyukjae was determined to find the cure, to save his people from dying.

 

But the disease spread rampantly, viciously, claiming everyone in sight.

 

Even the prince was not spared.

 

“The prince has been taken ill!” Donghae burst out of his room and saw countless physicians rushing into the room, with maids carrying pails of water. He rushed into the room, and found his eyes watering when he saw the prince lying helplessly on the bed, soaked in sweat.

 

He rushed to the side of the prince’s bed, watching as the physician took his pulse.

 

The physician shook his head, and Donghae felt his heart fall.

 

 

Donghae leaned closer, hearing the prince’s shallow breathing. He dared himself to take the pale hand in his, the hand that had only touched his own once, and although the prince was shivering, his hand still felt as warm. Donghae supposed that this was the only chance for him to do it - the prince was probably too ill to know what was going on around him.

 

Hours passed, and the prince’s temperature was still as high. Donghae stood up, deciding to leave the prince’s side for the night. As he turned to leave, he felt the grip on his hand tightening.

 

“Donghae?” He turned back immediately, watching as the prince struggled to open his eyes.

 

“Prince Hyukjae!” Donghae gasped, watching how the prince struggled to speak, only to close his eyes once again. The grip on his hand loosened slightly.

 

Donghae bent down and whispered into the prince’s ears, feeling his eyes watering again. “Don’t worry, my prince. I will find the cure.”

 

The next day, Donghae entered the room where the physicians were in discussion.

 

He could see the furrowed eyebrows, the panicked whispers, and he knew that nothing had been found.

 

“Let me help.” Donghae spoke up, and all the physicians turned to look at him.

 

“You? A servant like you can help?”

 

Donghae stood even firmer.

 

“Before being the prince’s personal servant, I worked in the palace kitchen for years. I am sure my knowledge of various herbs can help. Besides, you have no choice but to trust me now. The disease is spreading fast and I’m sure you need as much help as you can.”

 

Hearing that, the physicians could only nod.

 

Over the next few days, Donghae’s heart fell when he saw the prince’s slowly weakening body as the days passed, and how his condition did not get any better even with the best physicians from all over the world brought to the palace.

 

But that only spurred him on further to seek the cure. Along with the other physicians, he experimented with various herbs and medicines that could possibly cure the prince.

 

He hadn’t rested a single moment ever since the prince had been diagnosed and he was exhausted but he knew that the prince and the country needed the cure. And so he continued.

 

He would spend the day experimenting in the kitchen, testing so many different combinations that he was beginning to feel ill himself. Other officials in the palace had fallen to the disease, and Donghae knew that he had to work even faster.

 

Nights were spent by the prince’s side, and he held the pale hands in his tightly, whispering words of comfort when the prince began to whimper in his sleep, haunted by illusions caused by the disease. He would wipe the prince with a wet cloth, then hold onto his hands for the rest of the night.

 

A week later, after countless bowls of medicine were fed to the prince, his condition began to improve. The fever had gone down and his face had regained a bit of his natural colour.

 

Finally, they had found it.

 

They continued to feed the same concoction to the prince, and Donghae couldn’t be any happier when he saw the prince regaining his strength, having the energy to speak again.

-

 

Donghae stepped into the room, and for the first time in two weeks, he saw the prince smiling at him. He rushed towards him, the bowl of medicine almost spilling over.

 

“Prince Hyukjae!” Donghae beamed tiredly, letting the prince drink his medicine.

 

“You saved me.” The prince murmured, his voice still raspy from the lack of use.

 

“It was nothing, my prince.” Donghae said, staring at the prince who had been bedridden for two weeks.

 

“Call me Hyukjae when we are alone from now on.”

 

“I can’t, your highness.” Hyukjae frowned at that, attempting to sit up.

 

“I owe you my life now. This is an order, please obey it.”

 

Donghae nodded at that, but clutched onto the chair as he felt giddy all of a sudden.

 

“Are you all right?” The prince asked, and Donghae’s grip on the chair tightened.

 

“It’s okay, it’s just that I haven’t slept in a week.”

 

“You haven’t slept in a week?” The prince spoke up, worried.

 

“I was working on the cure, your highness.” Hyukjae frowned at the name but began to move towards the pale man nonetheless.

 

“I-” Donghae couldn’t continue, and he felt himself being pulled into the darkness, as hands wrapped around his falling body.

 

Donghae woke up, looking around him. He was back in his room, with someone sitting next to him.

 

He stared in shock at the prince calmly sitting next to him.

 

“You’re finally awake.” Hyukjae said, smiling gently. Donghae nodded, pulling at the covers awkwardly.

 

“How long have I been asleep?”

 

“For three days.” Donghae gasped.

 

“Have you been here all this time?” The prince nodded, handing Donghae a cup of water.

 

“Apart from the meetings I had to spread the cure to the citizens, I was always here.” The prince smiled, and Donghae felt a warm feeling creep up his face.

 

“Thank you for saving me, and saving the country.” The prince said, and Donghae shook his head.

 

“It was not just me, there were the physicians as well.”

 

“I heard of how you stood up to them.” The prince chuckled. “Still as headstrong as you ever were.”

 

Donghae blushed, looking at their hands that were touching as Hyukjae tilted the cup towards Donghae’s mouth so he could have the water more easily.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“There’s no need to be. I am thankful towards you, for saving me. As I have said, I owe you my life now, Donghae.”

 

Donghae smiled, relishing in his satisfied thirst as the rim of the cup left his chapped lips.

 

The prince placed the cup on the table next to them, and laced their fingers tightly together. Donghae flinched, but refrained from saying a word. He watched the prince’s satisfied expression as he placed both their hands on Donghae’s blanket covered lap.

 

They spent the next few days in Donghae’s room as the younger recovered from exhaustion, with the prince occasionally telling Donghae stories of the countless battles he had fought and won, and of the many countries he had seen.

 

Donghae’s eyes shimmered in wonder as he listened and the prince couldn’t help but promise that he would take Donghae to see all of these countries someday. Donghae nodded, smiling so radiantly that Hyukjae found something strange stirring deep within him.

 

-

 

“Hyukjae?”

 

Donghae stepped into the prince’s room, finding it strange that it was empty. Usually, at this time, the prince would still be asleep.

 

As he stepped into the hallway, he bumped into someone rushing past him. Donghae raised his eyebrows in surprise.

 

“Miseon, what are you doing here at this hour?”  

 

Donghae stepped into the garden, standing behind the pillar as he watched the figure crouched over a bunch of flowers. At that moment, he seemed so small, compared to the powerful image Donghae had seen all along.

 

“Miseon?”

 

“The king is dead, Donghae-ah.”

 

“Prince Hyukjae will be crowned king at the coronation ceremony next month.”

 

“How are you?” Donghae spoke up meekly, as they sat shoulder to shoulder on the steps leading to the garden. It had been a long day, with the prince having to greet officials from their allies who had come to offer their condolences.

 

“Why do you ask? Do I look tired?” The prince laughed weakly, running his fingers through his hair.

 

“You don’t have to pretend in front of me, Hyukjae.” The prince paused at that, and Donghae shivered at the wind that blew past right at that moment.

 

He huddled closer to himself, letting out a satisfied sigh at the warmth as the prince leaned even closer.

 

Donghae looked up at the sound of the prince chuckling, but froze when he saw the lone tear trickling down the prince’s cheek.

 

They remained in silence for a long while, and Donghae watched the leaves falling from the trees, drifting in the air.

 

Hyukjae opened his eyes when he felt fingers gently running against his cheek, wiping the tears away.

 

He had overstepped his own boundaries this time, allowing himself to cry in front of others. A king was certainly not supposed to be seen showing any weaknesses in front of his own people. But this was Donghae after all, and Donghae was… different.

 

“At the end of the day, you are also a child who has lost his father.” The servant whispered, looking warmly into the prince’s eyes. “Everyone has their weaknesses, even you. And that’s all right.”

 

The prince merely stared wordlessly at the servant in front of him, a thousand thoughts running through his mind.

 

He turned away, letting the servant’s words sink in.

 

-

 

Days had passed, and the pair resumed their usual daily routine, with Donghae dressing and preparing Hyukjae for the day, often starting off by making him a cup of tea. At the end of the day, they would have dinner together, sometimes taking a stroll in the prince’s garden.

 

Hyukjae was preparing to take over the king’s duties and some days, he would doubt himself. He wondered if he could truly be a good king, one that was loved by his citizens.

 

“I have too many weaknesses, all that a king should not have.”

 

The servant turned to look at the soon to be king and smiled. The pair had been watching the sunset, huddled closely together.

 

“What are you talking about? Don’t you remember the day when I asked you if you had any flaws, for I could find none?”

 

Hyukjae chuckled. “Maybe in your eyes. But I certainly am not perfect.”

 

Donghae sighed, placing his hands on top of the prince’s larger ones.

 

“Even the strongest people have weaknesses. Your flaws make you human, and your people will certainly love a king that shows warmth and emotions. Or what you define as weaknesses.”

 

Hyukjae smiled, letting his thumbs run over the servant’s hands.

 

“I guess you’re right.” The prince mumbled.

 

“Of course I’m right.” Donghae replied cheekily, and the prince reached over to playfully pinch his nose.

 

Their days were spent like this, and Donghae hoped that it would remain this way even after Hyukjae became king.

 

For now, this was perfect.

 

But Donghae knew, as he always had, what the palace and its people brought. There would never be peace for too long.